Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-13

relief from the excitement OF specula-
ton, might be greatly extended.
POLITICS AND THE STAGE.
There was mighty struggle between
politics and the stage in the hearts OF
New Workers on Monday night. 1t
ended in a sort OF compromise, and
the majority of the first-nighters went
to see Irvfng's Faust" in the early
part OF the evening and talked politics
the rest OF the night. The tendency OF
the average American citizen to stand
around on the eve OF election with his
bands in his pockets, his hat over his
eyes, and large and corpulent cigar pro-
truding from the corner OF his mouth is
just as pronounced in New York as it IS
in a back county village. II needed
something very powerful in the way OF
q theatrical attraction to penetrate the
din Of political strife. Mr.. Irving's pro-
duction Of "FaHst" was the attraction
that knocked politics higher than kite.
The performance was best summed up
by an experienced and popular justice
of the Supreme Court, who has been a
devoted theatre. goer all his life. He said
at Delnionicos that evening:
L" Faust is the best performance ever
given on any stage by any actor. No
thing that have ever seen in Paris, Lon
don, or elsewhere compares for mo-
ment with il in detail, finish, or absolute
perfection in every branch OF the the
atric art. "
Descriptions OF Irving'S most notable
and wonderful production have been
cabled from London so often, and writ
ten about to such extraordinary length
in all the journals of the English Ian
guage, as well as the critical reviews OF
other tongues, that there is little to add.
| The much cherished scheme of theatrical
dreamers OF giving a great spectacular
and mechanical production, backed
up by excellent actors, has been
realized for the first time. There
have been many great state presenta-
tons Of gorgeous scenery and notable
spectacles, but the mechanical expense
of such productions was so great that
the management was obliged to econo-
mize by filling out the bill with cheap
actors. Good actors like Edwin Booth,
Salvini, md the rest have poor compa-
MES and cheaply- mounted plays. Occa-
sionally capable actor appears in an
expensive production. Then it is the
play that is wanting in worth In
Faust everything is perfected. 10
begin with, an actor and actress who are
famous the world over are suited abso-
lutely with characters that are familiar
and classical The Mephisto of Irving
is his most impressive personation.
| His gaunt body, remarkable face,
and grewsOme personality fit the
character so well that. after seeing
him play it, every man who thinks
OF the devil at oil will invariably call
up the image of Henry Irving in his
mind. His wretched and deadly pallOr,
the incessant and evil fun of his sneer-
ing and leering wrong-doing dominated
the entire production. 1t was wonder
ful Characterization, and the fact that 1t
was decidedly grotesque did not lessen
its force. Miss Terry's Margaret is, Of
course, a finished and beautiful perform
ance. | wonder il this beautiful and dis
tinguished actress ever did anything on
the stage that did not verge on perfec-
ton. The innocence, guilt, and suffer
ings Of Goethe's beautiful heroine were
portrayed with inefable strength and
skill. The minor actors were up to the
standard of the Lyceum Company.
The play itself, adapted from the Ger
man by Mr. Wills, is graceful in language
and dramatic in action. 1t is a story that
never grows old. When it comes to the
manner Of production it would seem that
there is nothing left for stage realism to
accomplish. The spectacles over which
New York has raved at various times du-
ring the past ten years are puny, crude,
and silly compared to the triumphs of
this production There must be an army
Of acrobats in the troupe to supply the
goblin and nondescript combinations Of
men and beasts, the bats, owls and spec
tres who made up the hideous and fasci-
mating multitude in which Mephisto
reigned supreme. All sorts of fastastic
forms scaled the rocks, swung across the
stage, and made the most astounding ex-
hibit OF infernsl playfulness that has
been known outside of a madman's brain.
Irving is in for a greater season in
America than he has ever known before